The Best Mistake
by famouscliche
Summary: Everything has consequences. Diane and Will should have known that by now.
1. Chapter 1

New Diane centered story!  
Will x Diane pairing  
Don't like it, don't ready it (:  
Otherwise, enjoy!

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Diane Lockhart stared down at the countertop. How could she have let this happen? How could she have been so careless? Her whole life was spent trying to do the right thing, make the best choice, act, using not her heart but her head. And now, at nearly fifty years old, she had gone and fucked it all up. Typical, she thought to herself. Typical Lockhart behavior.

She honestly thought that she had escaped the inevitable tradition of completely destroying the life that she had worked so hard to build. She had the perfect firm, she was bringing in plenty of money, and she had the only companion she would ever need in her life, her dog Justice. That was just what happened, though. She had forgotten that the only man she would ever need was her dog when she stayed late one night at the firm.

The experienced lawyer had just gotten back from court when she poured herself a large glass of scotch. Normally, she would only drink half of what she had put into the cup, but today she really needed all of the alcohol. She sipped it quicker than usual, looking out into the streets of Chicago, losing track of her thoughts, when she heard a knock at the door. She turned around, empty glass in hand, and watched as Will Gardner entered her office.

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! Had I tried harder to connect with the jury, Keegan would have gotten off without as much as a charge of breaking and entering. It was completely my fault."

Will sat down directly across from Diane. "Doesn't matter. The jury didn't believe him. It wasn't you."

Diane sighed, getting up to pour herself another drink. She got Will a glass of the dark liquid, too, and handed it to him. "Working late?" she asked, as an attempt to change the subject that they clearly were not going to agree on.

"Yeah... I have some paperwork to finish up," he nodded, sipping the scotch slowly.

"I thought you were going to Baltimore for Christmas," she looked at him carefully. They'd had the annual Christmas party the day before... and now this.

"Well, it turns out I'm needed here... I postponed my trip until next week," he explained, before matching her curious glance. "What are you still doing here?"

"Paperwork."

"Then let me bring mine in here... we can keep each other company."

More often than not, Lockhart and Gardner would merge into one office, sharing a drink or two, making small talk over typing up case files. They planned meetings, went over budgets, reminisced when it was just the two of them, and it was the only time where they could quietly enjoy each other's company.

Diane watched him leave and return in one swift movement, and then got herself another drink.

"Are you going to drive yourself home tonight?" he questioned, realizing this was her third drink over a short period of time.

"No. I didn't bring my car to work anyway... it's in the shop."

"Let me give you a ride home."

"Will, you don't have to do that. You live at the other end of the city!"

"It's fine, I don't mind," he gave her a soft smile.

For years now, that smile had caused her to go weak in the knees, but she tried not to admit it to herself. They had an understanding after a drunken night when they were first starting out at Stern, Lockhart, & Gardner. They nearly shared a kiss, but decided it better not to mix business with pleasure. But Diane had fallen for him... not like she had for other men. It was genuine. But, she promised never to let herself become partners with Will in anything other than business.

She looked down at her files in front of her and let it go as Will did the same. He poured himself another glass a while into their night together, and drank it a little too quickly. He had not had much to drink in a while because of his involvement with Alicia Florrick, so he was really starting to feel the effects from it.

"I think I'm going to head home," he said, standing up as he shook his head. He was trying to convince himself he was not beginning to see double, but he was. How much alcohol was in that last glass, anyway?

"What about my ride?"

"I'm calling a cab... I can't drive like this. We can share it; I'll pay," Will nodded at her, standing up.

Diane's head was spinning as well. "Okay," she agreed.

The cab got to the firm what felt like seconds later, but the ride seemed to last forever. City lights streamed in and out of the windows of the vehicle, and one time in particular, Will noticed the gleam in Diane's eye. He leaned over to her, staring into her blue eyes, and Diane looked into his dark orbs.

Not a word was spoken between them, but their lips met, shyly at first, but passion took over quickly.

"Hey! Is this the right address?"

The cab driver interrupted them, annoyed by their behavior in the back of his car, and Will nodded. "Yeah. I... I don't think we'll need to go to the second address," he nearly stuttered, throwing some cash at the man, following Diane out of the car. He stepped in a puddle of melted snow as he tried to catch up with Diane, but he barely noticed when she spoke to him.

"Why'd you do that?" Diane asked curiously as the cab drove away and Will stood in her driveway beside her.

"So we could do this," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her lips again.

The two somehow managed to get inside the house and even as far as Diane's bedroom before their clothes began coming off. Four hands intertwined and neither was sure if the other would ever stop caressing and touching. Skin met fingernails and kisses met intimate areas before Will's manhood mingled with Diane's intimate slot.

Neither lawyer could count how many times the two different organs interacted with each other, but it was enough to leave them guessing in the morning. However, before Will had to face what was going on, Diane was in the shower and he was doing the walk of shame to the cab that he called as soon as he realized what had happened.

Diane, clad in her robe, went back to her bedroom, expecting to see her bedmate sleeping, but to her surprise, he had already left. Clearly, he never had feelings for her the way she did for him. She felt an ache inside her chest, but knew that he was fucking around with Alicia Florrick, not making a fair competition. Alicia was young, vibrant, and one of the strongest women she knew, and she felt so weak, standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

She sat down on her bed, devestated, but holding herself together. She took a few deep breaths before she watched Justice prance into her room, sitting at her feet. That was when she remembered he was the only man she needed in her life.

Now, though, three months later, she heard her phone buzz before looking down at the counter again. She pressed her fingers into her face, creating small circles above her temples, trying to relieve the unwanted stress, but knew it wouldn't be quite that easy. As she picked up the small white stick, she knew for sure that in just months, she'd have another companion...


	2. Chapter 2

I forgot to mention before that I own nothing.  
So, in case you had no idea, I clearly own nothing.  
Anyway...

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Diane made an appointment with her OB/GYN as soon as she read the results on the pregnancy test. She had a pregnancy scare in college once, and another not long before Stern asked her to start a firm with him and newcomber Will Gardner. But she knew this was not a scare... this was happening. This felt too real.

The blonde had trouble sleeping the night before she went down to the doctor's office. Her thoughts consumed every desire to sleep, her eyes would not stay shut to save her life. But she eventually made it to the exam room the next morning where she had her blood drawn and slipped on a gown.

Diane always felt as though she was being exposed when she went to the doctor's. She shivered as she sat on the cold table, and she realized, looking around the sea-sick blue walls surrounding her, that she had never felt so alone in her entire life. She wondered if maybe this wasn't the right thing to do... maybe having this baby was a big mistake.

The democrat had always been pro-choice, but she knew in her heart that if it ever came down to it, she would never get an abortion. Now, though, she began to ponder whether or not she should re-think that decision. Maybe it would be best for her, and maybe even better for the poor child growing inside of her.

"Sorry I'm a little late, Diane, but I had an emergency," Dr. Webber smiled at her patient, coming into the room.

Diane had been seeing the same doctor for nearly twenty years, but she still covered up when she walked into the office. She gave the doctor a soft smile before assuring her, "It's fine... I don't mind."

She looked over a few notes in the folder before her and looked at Diane carefully. "Well, you are pregnant, there's no doubt about that, but you should consider an amnioscentisis. I recommend it for all of my patients over forty who are carrying a child, especially for the first time. It's to make sure your child doesn't have mental or physical ailments, and it will also tell us the sex of your baby, if you wish to know."

"Do I have to decide today?"

"No... actually, since you're only thirteen weeks along, we can't do it for at least another two weeks anyway," the doctor smiled, slipping on her gloves. "I do want to do an internal exam today, and also perform an ultra-sound."

"Yeah, that's fine," Diane said, while Dr. Webber took out a few instruments.

Diane spread her legs, remembering the last time she did that caused her to wind up in this office. It smelled of lemon cleaning products, and Diane did her best to count the tiles on the ceiling, trying to focus on anything but the discomfort she was feeling. She felt vulnerable, laying there, helpless, and she despised that more than anything else in the world. She experienced the same sensation of uneasiness every year when she came in for her exam. She absolutely hated it.

"Alright, I want to do the ultra-sound now," Dr. Webber finally said, before moving away from Diane and retrieving a new pair of gloves. Diane finally felt as though she could breathe again, and minutes later, when she was looking at the screen, she felt her breath slip away again, but this time, she wasn't experiencing any sort of pain or awkwardness. Now she was just overwhelmed with happiness.

The fetus appeared on the screen and its heartbeat radiated throughout the room. Wet tears glistened in Diane's eyes and she moved her hand over her mouth, as if she was trying not to cry.

"The baby looks great, Diane. The heartbeat is normal, 152 BPM, and it's exactly the right size. Everything looks fine," the doctor assured her, before pointing out the head and the feet. The doctor wiped the jel off of her stomach and then printed out a few pictures as Diane sat up on the table. "I'd still like you to think about the amnioscentisis... it can be very helpful."

Diane shook her head. "I don't want it. If my child has special needs, I'll do whatever I have to do to be the best mother to him or her."

Dr. Webber nodded. "Alright, I'll let you get dressed. Make another appointment for six weeks from now on your way out."

"Thank you," the lawyer called after her doctor, before she put her clothes on. She grabbed the pictures off of the examination table and as she put her shoes back on, she touched her belly gently with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Enjoy xo

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Diane went into work, smiling for the first time in months. Before today, she had been so bitchy, either biting someone's head off, ignoring questions that were asked in meetings, or directing anyone that came into her office to Will. She refused to be in the same room as her co-founder unless they were in the conference room or in court, where she would stand at the opposite side of the room, or in the chair furthest away from his. People began to notice the distance, but they figured it was another domestic fight.

They had played the roles of Mommy and Daddy at the firm, and it was hard for some employees to see them giving the other the cold shoulder or snipping at one another when Will tried to interact with Diane. Will had asked her to take a case, and after she said that he could handle it, he got lippy with her in the middle of the hallway, telling her that it was her firm, too. She retaliated by assuring him that she'd be more than willing to sign it over to him if that was what he wanted.

But this was a new day. She had a baby growing inside her, and she was so excited. True, had she been asked a few months or even years ago, she would have laughed at anyone wondering if she wanted kids. But now, after seeing the tiny human on the screen before her, hearing its heartbeat, it was all she wanted.

"Good morning, Kristen," she smiled at her assistant, practically skipping into her office. The woman, who hadn't heard a nice word come out of her boss' mouth since the Christmas party, looked up happily.

"Good morning, Miss Lockhart."

Diane closed the door behind her and sat down to look over some files she had on her desk. She knew she had to get caught up, but right now, she was so distracted. She tried her best to concentrate, though, but her thoughts slipped to maternity clothes, baby registries, and nurseries from time to time.

When she finally decided she couldn't take it anymore, she realized she had a meeting to get to with a new potiential client, and had to rush to meet Eli Gold. He would be in the meeting as well, and she wanted to make sure they were on the same page before they tried to convince the client to sign with her firm.

She put her purse and coat into her closet, knowing that anyone could come in and look through her things if she didn't keep them safe. She felt that she had to be especially careful now since her ultra-sound pictures were resting safely in her Coach handbag. She grabbed a file and her planner, as well as a pen, before walking out of her office. She found that she couldn't help but look into the room across the way as she exited.

There sat Alicia and Will, eating lunch together, looking pretty cozy with one another. Diane felt her heart speed up a little bit, feeling a huge wave of sadness and anger rush over her. She put her hand on her stomach protectively, and when Will met her eye, she turned and almost ran down the hallway.

It wasn't until that moment that she felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. She couldn't be sure if it was the "morning sickness" the doctor told her she might experience (even if it wasn't in the morning), or if it was the sight of Will with Alicia. Either way, she almost didn't make it to the toilet before throwing up.

"God..." she mumbled to herself, kneeling over the porcelain seat, rubbing her face with her hand. She felt a little bit better, she decided, flushing the toilet, but her stomach still didn't feel quite right.

"Are you okay?" she heard, coming out of the stall, before looking into the mirror at the woman standing in the bathroom with her.

"What? Oh, yes... I think the milk I put in my coffee this morning was sour," she explained, giving her best smile to Kalinda Sharma, one of her favorite people in the firm. They had really bonded over the few years of working together, although, they weren't friends outside of the firm. Diane knew it was better that way.

Kalinda gave her a sympathetic smile, before washing her hands. "So, I hear you and Eli bagged a big client?"

"Well... almost. I'm actually on my way to a meeting with them right now," she explained, as she moved to rinse her hands off, too. She didn't want any of the germs from the floor or the toilet to get into her system. She smiled at her thought, though, because she knew that this was just the beginning of worrying for her child.

"Eli had me investigate them. They seem legit... and they have a lot of money. If you sign them for court, you might be able to convince them to become donors," the dark haired woman explained, giving Diane a little insight without telling her too much.

"Will you bill me for your time?" she joked, looking at her with a smile.

Kalinda hadn't seen that smile in a long time. Months... it was good to see her happy again. "No. I'll bill Eli," she teased, walking out of the bathroom with her employer.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for the reviews!  
I'm glad you're enjoying it.

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Nearly four weeks had passed before Diane started to feel better than she had the day she got sick for the first time. She never felt it at a specific time of day, even though it was called morning sickness, but she realized that it mainly occured in the afternoon. She thought the timing was off, especially since morning sickness usually only occurs in the first trimester, but Diane learned that it could happen throughout her entire pregnancy.

She always tried to navigate a different bathroom in the firm because she didn't want anyone to be suspicious, and the first day she began to feel better, she was thrilled that she wouldn't have to make her way to a bathroom, trying to be quiet while vomitting, or planning her meetings and court hearings around her illness.

Diane was sitting at her desk late that afternoon, filling out some paper work, feeling amazing. She was so happy to have her freedom back. She wasn't nauseous, and she knew that the terrible spell was over. She heard a knock on the door, interrupting her thoughts, and she looked up, before waving the younger woman in with a smile. It was nearing the end of the day already and she needed to catch up with Kalinda.

"I didn't see you in the restroom today. Feeling better?"

Diane was a little taken aback. Had Kalinda been following her? Had she heard her get sick for the past few weeks? Did she know her secret?

"A little... yeah."

"Well after a few days, I realized it wasn't sour milk that had you vomitting."

"Have you been keeping tabs on me?" Diane challenged. She heard her voice come out a little rough, but she was hormonal. She also was in no mood for games.

Kalinda was strong, she could handle Diane's attitude, and she knew she deserved it. "No... I've heard talk around the office and I've seen things... I'm an investigator, I can't help it."

Diane accepted her answer, trying to brush the subject off. "So, what do we have on the Blake case?"

"He wrote about the church in his column, but it was coded," Kalinda passed her the notes she had taken from the man's website and that she had gathered from evidence. "But it doesn't say anything about Father Stuart. I don't think he did it... I think he's telling the truth. Someone is setting him up."

Diane looked over what she had in her hand carefully, focusing on what was highlighted and underlined by the younger woman. She studied it carefully for a moment, taking a look at Kalinda's notes in the margins. "So, who had it out for Blake?"

"His wife."

"His wife? Are you sure? That's a big stretch for probable cause," Diane said, removing her glasses before looking at the woman. She had been there and done this before, and it rarely worked out. Husbands and wives always wanted to keep each other out of jail.

Kalinda nodded. "He was having an affair and she found out. She was one of the only people that knew what his poems were really about and I bet she instagated the fight between Blake and Father Stuart the day before he was found dead."

Diane leaned back in her hair wish a sigh, relieved. "Good work. Now we just need to get some evidence against her or... maybe go to him with it. I don't know how he'll react, though, especially if she was the one having the affair."

"I'm already working on it," she smiled.

"Thank you." Diane nodded desmissively.

"So, how far along are you?" Kalinda stood up to leave.

"Sixte- excuse me?"

The investigator smiled to herself. "You have my confidentiality."

"How did you know?"

Kalinda shrugged. "I just did. Stand up for a moment."

Diane looked at her carefully, but did as she was told. She stood up and watched Kalinda come over to her, standing adjacent to her, looking at her intently. Diane glanced over at her curiously. "What?"

"You have a baby bump, but as long as you wear flowing shirts and some sort of over coat, no one will be able to tell. Yet," she explained, before looking into Diane's eyes. "Can I just ask you one thing? Why don't you want anyone to know?"

"It's... it's complicated."

"Well, are you keeping it?"

Diane nodded. "Yeah... yes. I never wanted to be a mother until now."

The younger woman smiled. "You'll be a good mother."

Diane smirked. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, you're tough, but you're fair, you can be snippy, but you're kind. You take care of people, Diane. You took me under your wing and you were good to me. You'll raise a good kid."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. She had been worried about how she would be as a mother, but she supposed Kalinda made a point. She had taken Kalinda, and even Alicia, under her wing at Lockhart Gardner. Not to mention, all of the other people she had helped grow. Such as Will... even Stern. He told her that she was the reason why he was a better man. It made her happy, knowing that even without having a mother figure, she could nurture others naturally.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Diane nodded and watched Kalinda leave. She sat back down in her chair, wearing a smile. She was glad that someone knew. Honestly, she had been dying to tell someone, but she didn't have many friends that she really associated with outside of the firm because she spent so much time working. Normally, she would have turned to Will, but that was impossible. She might have confided in Stern, but he had been dead for nearly two years now. But Kalinda... Kalinda had distanced herself from Alicia, so she was the perfect confidant. As long as she didn't say anything to Will, she knew that her secret was safe, until she got really big, that was.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for reading!

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The following month consisted of Diane getting even bigger, and finally going to the appointment where she would learn the sex of her child. She headed to the OB/GYN mid-morning after cancelling a staff meeting that she, Julius, Will, and David had planned, and waited to see what the verdict was. Would she be throwing parties with robots and dinosaurs, or would they consist of princesses and dolls?

"Your baby looks completely healthy, Diane. The heart rate is normal, and the size is right on spot. You're doing very well... are you feeling alright?"

Diane nodded. "I haven't been sick for over a month, and the only thing I've noticed that's different is my exhaustion... I cannot get enough sleep no matter what I do."

"Well, that is completely normal, especially since you work at the firm so much. You should try to start cutting back on your hours. Try not to put too much time in at the firm, stay off of your feet, relax. Believe me, you'll be wishing you did once the baby arrives."

The lawyer took that with a grain of salt. The downfall was that once she started spending less time at work, the firm would fall behind. But, she could always take her paperwork and confrence calls home, she supposed... but what about meeting with clients? What about meeting with lawyers? What if someone needed her? She also realized she still needed to start planning her maternity leave. That would be difficult. She knew she was going to have to announce her pregnancy eventually. She also knew she would have to tell Will, but now was not the time to think about that.

"I can try... no guarantees," she told her doctor, leaving it open ended. She was tired of lying, but she wasn't a huge fan of being honest lately, either.

"Alright... let's see if we can find out the sex of the baby," Dr. Webber said, before squirting some cold gel on Diane's expanding mid section. She gently placed the wand over the bump and began to study what was on the screen. They heard the heartbeat, and the doctor captured a few pictures for her patient.

"Do you know what the baby is?"

The lawyer nodded with a smile. "Yes, I do."

"Well, the legs are crossed, but it almost looks like you're having a little boy. I can't be positive, though, so you could very well be having a little girl... if we did the amnioscentisis, we could know for sure."

Diane shook her head. "I can't risk a miscarriage... or, still birth now, I guess. I just can't do it," she explained, not wanting to do anything that might be potentially harmful to her child. She had read up on the proceedure on the Internet, and while it was safe for the most part, there was always that chance that something could go wrong. The way Diane saw it, this baby was already so unique that anything could happen. She wouldn't allow her child to be put in danger just so she knew if the baby would have some kind of ailment.

The doctor nodded. "Alright, well, then I will finish this up and I will see you back in six weeks."

Later that day, Diane headed back to the firm. She had a meeting with a client who was bringing in some very important business, and she knew that she had to be punctual and ready for any and all questions that they might have about the firm. She had to meet with Kalinda, who was investigating, and Will, Eli, and David, who were, suprisingly, taking on a murder case that they were presenting. She was overseeing the process, because of the tension between Eli and David, but also because she had known the client's sister in college. She couldn't compromise a case by getting involved in the court room aspect.

When she got to her office, she sat down at her desk, and soon she had a knock at her door. She saw Kalinda and waved her in with a smile, before the woman sat down across from her.

"What do you have for me?"

"I'll tell you my information if you tell me yours," Kalinda said, looking to meet Diane's eyes with her own.

Diane grinned. She hadn't told anyone about her secret, but since Kalinda knew, she had confided in her that she was going to find out the sex of her child before she came into work that day. She had to admit that it was nice to have someone that she could go to if she ever needed to. She knew that Kalinda would be completely confidential, and it made her feel safe having the investigator know her news.

"Actually, the doctor couldn't be sure... although she said she thinks that I'm having a boy."

Kalinda smiled excitedly, a face that Diane hadn't seen before, and said, "That is great! Can you imagine a little male Diane running around in a few years? Congratulations!"

Diane shared the smile, before thanking her. "But, like she said, she wasn't completely sure, so I could have a girl... I guess we'll have to wait and see. Now, what about your news? Did you find anything that could potentially get him off the hook?"

"No... he's looking pretty good for this murder, Diane. The evidence points to him... the State's Attorney has a strong case. I think Will should talk to him."

Diane nodded. She had gotten used to people throwing the name around, she had grown accustomed to seeing him in the hall, but she never forgot how broken he had left her. She couldn't forget how he caused her stomach to swell with the baby inside, either. At first she could pretend, but she was getting bigger now, and it was much harder to ignore. The woman still wore very loose tops, shirts that flowed, and dresses that flared out at her rib cage, but her breasts had grown noticably with the pregnancy, and her belly was continuing to expand.

"That's probably a good idea. I would do it myself, but I don't want to be accused of any misconduct since I know his sister."

Kalinda pursed her lips. "I'll keep working on trying to find something, but is there any other case you want me to look into while I'm out and about today? I'll check in with you if I find anything on this case."

"Actually, check in with Will, and if you could begin on my case with Alicia, that would be great. It's pro-bono, but I'm second chairing... I know she doesn't need help, but she's never dealt with a rape case involving a child before. She went to Will saying she was worried," Diane confided.

"That'll help her a lot that you'll be there, then. I know she worries a lot because of Grace."

The taller woman just bit her lip. She wondered if she would look at her cases differently once her baby arrived. She knew that Alicia had issues with some of the cases because they involved kids around her own childrens' ages, but personally, Diane had never had to deal with that before.

"Well, thank you, Kalinda. I will talk to you, soon."

Kalinda left the room and Diane got a few files together so that she could make it to the meeting on time. Right after she left that meeting, she had to meet Alicia down at the jailhouse, so she decided just to bring everything with her. She had her Coach purse, as well as her briefcase that she would need for both meetings, and shoved the files, a notebook, and a few pens in her purse. She left her office, but as soon as she walked out the door, she ran smack into Alicia and she lost the grip on her purse that spilled everywhere.

"Oh, God, Diane... I'm sorry," Alicia apologized quickly, bending down to help her pick up her items. The contents of her purse had seemingly spilled everywhere, frustrating Diane and causing guilt in Alicia. She seemed nervous, probably about the case, but Diane just moved to pick up her things quickly.

She moved her hands, trying to get her items back to their home quickly, as Alicia began to studder.

"I was just coming to you to talk about the case... I just don't know if I can handle-" Alicia stopped abruptly. Her hand rested on a square piece of paper and she looked at Diane, confused.

"Diane?" she almost whispered as the older lawyer snatched the picture out of her hand. She placed it in her purse quickly but delicately, not wanting to ruin it. She only had a few physical images of her fetus, and she didn't want to damage them. They were irreplaceable.

"They're... they're from years ago..." she tried to say, but blue eyes met brown before Diane watched as Alicia eyed her belly, glancing at the outline of her dress.

"You're pregnant?"

Diane bit her lip, standing up, walking into her office, as Alicia eventually followed. She was obviously surprised by the news, but she closed the door behind her. "I'm sorry... I didn't know..." she said, moving to sit down in the chair near Diane's desk. It was a lot to take in suddenly, apparently.

"No one knows, Alicia, and I intend to announce the news on my terms. Not even Will knows. So, I would really appreciate your confidentiality. This is something I need to do on my own," she warned, giving Alicia a stern look as she skipped over an explaination.

"Okay, sure... wow. I just... this is crazy, Diane. But congratulations. How far along are you?"

"About five months," Diane answered, even though she didn't really think it was any of Alicia's business how far along she was. She liked Alicia well enough as a person, but she hated that Will left her bed to hop into Alicia's. She hated that this baby, her baby, might be half Alicia's one day. "Do I have your word that you will not tell anyone what you found out today? And I mean anyone... Will included."

Alicia went from shocked to concerned with an attitude. "Why do you keep mentioning Will?"

"Because this is my baby, Alicia, and I want to be the one to tell him!" she snapped at her employee, before her eyes widened at what came out of her own mouth. "Sorry... I just want to tell him myself. He's my business partner, and it's our firm... I need to be the one to talk to him about this because I don't know that I will be returning after I have the baby," she lied. Of course she would return to work, but Alicia didn't need to know the real reason she hadn't told Will the truth.

Alicia nodded. "Alright. You have my word, Diane. I won't say anything... I will see you downtown in about an hour," she said, getting up to leave the room, closing the door loudly behind her.

Diane watched her go before taking a deep breath. She knew that she had to tell Will now... sooner rather than later. She also had to tell the name partners. Maybe she could get out of Will causing a scene if she killed two birds with one stone.

Genius, she thought with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Diane sent out a memo the day she literally ran into Alicia in the hallway, scheduling a staff meeting for two weeks from that date. Unfortunately, the weeks flew by, and finally it was time for Diane to tell her firm that she was having a baby. It was huge news, and she knew that it had to be done quickly, but carefully, and move on with assigning cases so that there would be less time for office gossip. She was announcing it to not only the name partners, but also to her associates, legal aids, and secretaries.

Not everyone fit in the conference room, and not everyone was present, but those who were really took up a lot of space. Before Diane made her enterance, the chatter between colleagues was extremely loud, and when she walked in, the woman couldn't even hear herself think. She had on a lovely maroon maternity shirt that really accentuated her belly, but she wore a loose-fitting coat over it. She decided maybe to take her coat off after she made her announcement, just to show everyone she was actually carrying a child.

"Excuse me," she started out, as everyone chatted over her voice. Usually, she was completely against raising her voice, even in a heated arguement, but she needed to get the show on the road. "Excuse me!"

Everyone shut up at once and turned to see the founder at the head of the table, taking her glasses off after setting her notebook down. They all gave her the attention she needed, and she gave them a half smile.

"Thank you... Before I hand out your cases, which we need to begin on immediately because two have arraignments later today that we need to be present at, I have some news of my own to share," she said, as Kalinda met her eyes from across the room and gave her a reassuring smile.

Diane had told Kalinda of her plan to let everyone know at the staff meeting, since Alicia had taken some vacation time to spend with her children. Kalinda informed Diane that she would be back in the office the next day, so Diane thought it was the perfect timing. She would only have to answer to Will for once day before his lover came back and he could resume ignoring her for Alicia.

"In September, I will be taking some personal time... ideally only a couple of months, but realistically, I'm looking into taking the entire last four months of the year. I will be in and out of the office from time to time, but I will be doing all of my work from home, besides meeting with clients, and I will not be in court unless there's a subpeona involved," she kidded, as the employees began to show their confusion. It spread across their faces in no specific pattern, but nearly every face in the room seemed curious. There was some light whispering, but Diane took that time to unzip her jacket and set it down on the back of the chair before her.

"I know you're all wondering why, so I won't leave you in the dark. I am actually five and a half months pregnant, and I'm due September second," she announced, breaking briefly, giving everyone a chance to take in what she had just said. Once they did, some broke out in smiles, and someone even began to applaud, while most everyone followed suit. She even heard many verses of "congratulations", and couldn't help but smile.

"So, while I will be busy with a new child," she said, placing her hand to her stomach instinctively, "I will also be ensuring that our firm doesn't lose any clients and that we still continue to bring in just as much, if not more money. I will be setting up a voicemail at my home, and will check it as frequently as possible, but I also want to remind you that you will have Will, David, Julius, and even Eli to go to. I will also be hiring a personal assitant to help with the transition until I return to the firm, so as soon as we have a candidate, I will fill everyone in with the plan," she announced with a nod.

She took a deep breath. She had done so well... but she had avoided Will's eyes the entire time. She knew she couldn't look at him now or else she wouldn't be able to finish the meeting. "Alright, now that this is out of the way, I want to assign cases," she said, moving to sit down, opening her notebook to what she had on the paper. She threw out case names and files, and once she was done, she dismissed everyone.

Diane was glad that everyone, including Will, had left the room by the time she looked up to see who was left as she took down some notes about what she had assigned and to whom. She felt relieved when he didn't cause a scene in front of their employees, and she supposed that she had done a great job protecting herself and her child from his temper by telling him without really telling him.

She got up to move to her office, and saw Will sitting in the chair across from hers at her desk. The leggy lawyer honestly considered just walking away and leaving the firm to go help on a case, but she knew she would have to face Will sooner or later. She had already averted facing the subject for months... it was time she faced the father of her child.

She opened the door quietly, and shut it the same way. Will didn't even turn to look at her, he just sat in his chair, staring out the window. His feet were proped up on the desk and he had his hands laced over his lap over his midsection.

"Put your feet down," she warned, walking over to her chair. She sat down in silence for a good two minutes before Will finally looked over at her. His feet were in the same position, and she had considered a few times pushing them off or punching his foot with her hand. He really knew how to push her buttons with just one simple gesture.

"Is it mine?"

Diane's eyes met Will's. She contemplated lying for a moment. Ultimately, though, he had a right to know that he fathered this child.

"You know it is."

Will nodded slightly before he kicked his feet down to the floor and stood up, walking out without a word. Diane closed her eyes as he shut the door with a harsh sound when it finally closed completely. She knew she messed up, and she put her head in her hands realizing that there was no fixing the issue. She was just going to have to deal with what she had done. Will would just have to deal with it, too.


	7. Chapter 7

Will didn't utter one word, pass one glance, or even walk near Diane for almost two weeks. Not that Diane really thought that knowing it was his child would make a difference. Honestly, though, she didn't want it to. She would not allow their child to be the basis of their relationship. That wasn't fair to anyone. No, if Will wanted to be with her, it would have to be for a different reason.

So, when he knocked on her door on a sunny Thursday afternoon, she was surprised. She looked up, a little startled to see him, but then gestured for him to come in with a brief nod his way. He sat down silently across from her as she studied his every move.

"We need to talk," he finally spoke, breaking the silence that had been lingering between them for months.

"I agree. Not here, though."

"Yes, here. Now, I'm tired of just thinking about what I need to say to you instead of just hashing it out."

Diane sighed. So much for Will not causing a scene. He would come to her in her office to try to do this. Why couldn't he just accept the fact that she was not going to fight with him in the office? Not over this. "Will, I am not doing this here. Meet me at my house tonight and we can talk there."

"I have plans."

"With Alicia?"

She hadn't meant to say that, but she did and it came out harshly. She was still bitter about Alicia, and she didn't want it to be known, but it happened. She was a little relieved that she didn't hold it back, though, because Will should know. She was hurt and she hoped that it hurt him to realize that.

"You're right. Let's not do this here. I'll drive you home this afternoon and we'll talk."

"Oh, so it doesn't matter if I have plans?"

"Do you?"

"No, but don't just assume."

"Why not? You did."

Diane took a breath. "Fine. I'll see you later then."

That evening, around dinner time, Diane put her work away and headed out of her office. She was famished and she knew if she didn't have something to eat, her child would begin chewing through her womb. Or, at least, that's what Diane had dreamt about a few times...

"Ready?" Will asked at his desk when Diane showed up in his doorway.

Nodding, Diane lead Will to the parking garage silently. They got into his car and Will turned to back out, but he stopped. Something caught his attention and he felt frozen in time. Diane looked over at him, wondering what he was doing. She caught him looking at her belly. She met his eyes, and he began driving again before asking, "Do you know what you're having?"

Diane shook her head. "The doctor couldn't tell."

"Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I'll buy you dinner... what do you want?"

Diane pursed her lips. She didn't really want Will to be taking care of her, but she figured he at least owed her dinner. He never even bought her a meal after their night together... right now, pizza sounded like a fair trade. "I've been craving pizza all day... but I can order it when I got home," she quickly quipped, being polite.

Will shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. He got her a pizza with green peppers and mushrooms, at her request, and gave them her address. By the time they got to her house, the pizza was there. Will paid the man and as soon as Diane got inside, she found herself a plate and began to eat the delicious dinner.

"Thank you for the pizza," Diane said, before taking another bite out of her slice.

Nodding, Will sat down across from her at the island. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Diane looked at him carefully as she pondered his question. She knew that it was coming, she just wasn't sure how she wanted to respond. Honestly, she had gone over this conversation a thousand times in her head, but ultimately, it wouldn't turn out the way she wanted it to no matter what she said to him. "I was protecting my child. I didn't want you to hate me anymore than you already do, either. You and I can't have a normal conversation anymore as it is... I didn't want anything else making it worse for me or the firm."

"I don't hate you."

"Oh, no? Because you sure as hell act like you do!"

"Because that night ruined our relationship!"

"You mean it ruined your relationship with Alicia? Oh, I'm sorry... I forgot that she doesn't know."

Will glared at her. "Alicia has nothing to do with this! That night was the biggest mistake of my life, and now I have to pay for that mistake for the rest of my life! Child support, insurance... Jesus, Diane!"

Diane was boiling over. She'd had enough of his attitude. "I am so sorry you wanted to fuck me after the Christmas party because _you_ drank too much, I'm sorry you came inside of me because _you_ didn't want to wear protection, I'm sorry_ you _messed up your life with precious Alicia Florrick! But don't worry, Will! I'll clean up your mess again! I'll cover your tracks, keep your secret, and I'll make it all go away... But don't you dare forget what you gave up for her. Your "mistake" is my child and you won't have anything to do with him!" she yelled, throwing him a twenty dollar bill. "Keep your money and get the hell out of my house!"

Will was seething but did just that, slamming her front door on the way out. As soon as he was gone, Diane felt the baby kick. Hard. She put her hands on the shell soothingly, but couldn't help but smile. Through all of the anger and the saddness she was feeling, she had to smile. She thought that she had felt the fetus move before, but this was the first time she was certain she could feel it on the outside.

"Mommy loves you," she cooed as Justice trotted in, sitting at her feet. Usually she only talked to him that way. They both knew, though, that life was going to change very soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for the super short chapter!  
Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

The next day, Diane got to work to find Will in her office. Again. She was really getting tired of him doing whatever he wanted! She walked in, gritting her teeth, before asking, "What do you want?" very coldly.

Will turned around. "I'm sorry about last night."

"Sorry doesn't fix this, Will."

"I know, but I didn't mean anything I said last night. I realized that when I said "mistake", I was talking about our child, and I never meant that. Your baby... our baby isn't a mistake," he said, looking up into her eyes. Diane could tell he was being sincere, but she wasn't sure she was ready to give it up that easily.

"But you'd rather it was Alicia's?" It was more of a statement than it was a question, but Diane still expected an answer.

Will shrugged. "I don't know how you want me to answer that, Diane. Do I love Alicia? I don't know... so, I have no idea if I'd want it to be hers. I'm glad you're the mother, though. I'm glad he or she will have you."

Diane's eyes widened. She was surprised to hear him say that. It was almost too nice. "You are?"

"Yeah... you were right last night. You cover up for me, you keep my secrets, and you basically hold my hand whenever I need it. No matter what I'm going through, I know you're always on my side. You're going to be a great mother... and I want to be a father to your child. I don't want to have nothing to do with this baby... I want to be involved."

"You made it perfectly clear that you didn't want anything to do with my child, Will."

"I know... but I didn't mean it. I don't feel endowed to our child. I swear, I don't. I want to do this. I want to be a father."

Diane sighed, but looked at him carefully, studying his expressions. "Will, if you want to be involved in your child's life, then I want you to be involved. But are you certain you want this responsibility?" Diane paused, looking at Will gently. "Are you sure you want everyone to know this is your baby?"

Will shrugged. He wasn't sure. But at the same time, he supposed he was sure. He had already made up his mind. "I want to tell Alicia first, but yes... this is what I want, Diane."

In all honesty, Diane was shocked by this behavior. This was the first time in nearly a decade of knowing Will Gardner that the lawyer took responsibility for his actions without trying to find a way out. She was impressed to say the least.

"I'll let you make the announcement when you're ready," she told him with a slight nod.

"Thank you... for everything."

"Well, it wasn't just me. It takes two you know," she shrugged. At least she hadn't lost her wit, she thought to herself. "I'll see you later for the conference call."

The man nodded before leaving Diane's office, letting her be alone with her thoughts. That lasted the entire day, until finally, her day was over.

When Diane got home that night, Justice greeted her with a bark. She hurriedly found herself something to eat before finding her way into the shower to relieve the tension from her day. At first, she tried to resist, but ultimately, she knew that she needed more release. She hated that she had to resort to these unruly tactics, but she had no choice. Neither her body or her mind would give her another option.

She let her fingers sneak down beneathe her swollen belly as she turned her body to face the shower head, letting the water wash over her face. A small whimper escaped her lips at the feeling of her own fingers, before she closed her eyes, letting the heat build.

Steam rose into her nostrils, and soon, she could almost feel herself gasping for it, as if she couldn't breathe. As if she were drowning in the shower. Finally, it wasn't clear whether Diane or the drain was making the gutteral noises coming from the shower, but when it was over, the pregnant woman dried off with a towel and disappeared to get ready for bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Almost four weeks rolled around before Diane had another appointment. This time, she invited Will to go with her and he readily accepted. She wasn't sure why she was so excited to have him with her at the ultra-sound appointment, but she was. She wanted him to hear the heartbeat, and she wanted him to see the baby.

"Is this your last ultra-sound?"

Diane nodded. "I believe so. I will start going in for appointments more frequently, but I don't think I'll have another ultra-sound."

Will, satisified with the answer, turned his attention back to the road. He agreed to drive her to the doctor's before work, and once they were done, they could just head into the firm together. No one needed to know Will was the baby's father, and no one would. Not right now. Neither Kalinda nor Alicia knew, and they both decided that it was for the best right now.

Since Will and Alicia had gone through a rough patch, they decided to give each other space for a while. The reconciliation was never mentioned by either of them after a few weeks had passed, and it seemed to be okay with both of them. Diane had heard of this, through Kalinda, of course, but just because he was through with Alicia didn't mean that Diane would just get together with him. At this point, she wasn't sure that she wanted to be with him at all, but she did appreciate his kindness regarding the appointment, and his concern for their child.

When they got to the doctor's office, Diane went in for her first appointment, and the doctor brought Will in as soon as they were about to perform the ultra-sound. It was strange for him to be there, in the doctor's office, with Diane.

He looked over at Diane's belly, exposed on the examination table. He had not seen her stomach since they had spent the night together after the Christmas party. It was so flat and toned last time, and now it reminded him of an over-grown turtle shell. Suddenly, though, it hit him. He realized that Diane was carrying a child inside of her. His baby. He had helped create the life that was growing in her womb.

Taking a seat, Will took a breath as he watched the obstrician squirt some gel onto Diane's midsection. He was still taking in his realization, and as soon as he thought he could finally function again, he heard a noise radiate throughout the room. It was his baby's heartbeat.

"Well, it looks like the baby is about two and a half pounds... a little light for now, but once you get off your feet and begin resting a little more, I think we'll find the baby will be up to par," the doctor explained, running the wand over Diane's hard stomach. "The heartbeat is 149 beats per minute, which is excellent, and I can show you the face right now."

Will and Diane both looked at the screen and saw the features beginning to form on their child.

"Can you tell us the sex?" Diane asked, not taking her eyes away from her child.

"I can try," she said, printing out a few pictures, before moving the wand down to the legs.

"Damn," Diane said, looking at the screen.

"What?" Will asked, worried for a moment. He almost felt his heart leap out of his chest, and he realized that it didn't matter whether or not he knew of the child since the beginning or not. It didn't matter if it was born or still being cooked in the oven of Diane's belly. Will was in love with this baby.

The doctor shook her head. "The legs are crossed. This happened last time, too."

Feeling relieved, Will just sat back in his chair.

"Let me print a few pictures out and get this into your chart so you can leave. I'd like to see you back in three weeks," she nodded between Will and Diane. "Will, it was very nice to meet you. I hope to see you again in a couple of months."

Diane wasn't sure whether or not to laugh as she wiped the gel off of her belly with the towel that was on the table next to her seat. She loved that her doctor not-so-subtly warned him to be present at the birth of her child, although, at this point, she was not sure that she had anything to worry about.

"Yes, I'll see you soon." Will shook the doctor's hand and watched her leave, taking the pictures from her hand, as Diane fixed her shirt.

"You alright?" Diane asked, looking at the pictures with him.

Will nodded, softly smiling. "Let's get back to the firm."


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks later, Diane came into work from her latest appointment, and got straight to work. She knew that she had a lot to do that day in terms of preparing, because her doctor told her that she needed to be on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. While she was doing well, physically, her baby was still a bit smaller than Dr. Webber wanted, and she knew that a large part of it was most likely because she was on her feet at work so often.

Diane cleaned out most of her office, taking the necessary items down to her car throughout the day, and even got together with a few of her big clients to explain that now was the time that they would be working with either Will, Julius, or David.

Near the end of the day, Diane told Julius and Eli that this was her last day in the office for a while, but reassured them that they would most likely be holding conference calls with her on Skype for the next few weeks so that all of her clients would be situated.

"So, the next time I see you, you're going to be carrying a child around... God, Diane. I never would have imagined," Eli shook his head at her, as the realization began to sink in. It was funny to Diane to see how everyone else reacted to her having a child, and when the thought of her being a mother actually happened. It was faster for the women, she decided.

"I guess it's better than carrying my dog in and out of the office."

"True, but I'm kinda fond of Justice. Especially when he steals David's files or gets hair all over his floor," Julius smiled at the thought of the little dog making a mess of his favorite room in the firm, which just so happened to be David Lee's office.

Diane smirked. "Alright, I guess I should probably get out of here. Do either of you know where I can find Will?"

"I think he's in the conference room... we could go check," Eli nodded, before the trio walked down to the room. Diane saw what looked like a meeting going on, and was going to wait, but Will motioned for her to come in.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to wish you all luck, and let you know that the partners have my number, you can get my on my cell if needbe, and I will probably see you all through our video conference call in a couple of weeks," she smiled.

"Wait, Diane, before you go," Will said, standing up, before the employees began moving the posters and boxes out of the way, to reveal a cake and party favors for Diane. They were throwing her a baby shower! Some employees ran out to grab gifts, while others cleaned up what they were using to hide the decorations so that she would not suspect anything was going on.

"What is all of this?" she marveled at the sight with a huge smile on her face. She could not have been happier. This was the sweetest thing anyone had done for her since her surprise party when she turned twenty one.

The colors were gender neutral, but as Diane got around to opening gifts, she found a tuxedo, two dresses, blue and pink blankets, and even a tutu! She got plenty of bottles, a bath set, a few stuffed animals, and almost too many toys for the baby. The rest were gift cards, gift certificates, and cash so that when the baby was born, she could buy what she needed because she was unsure of the sex.

She tried some of the cake, and she and the baby found it to be delicious, but soon enough, the shower was over. A few employees stayed to help clean up, and one, being Alicia, pulled her aside when everyone was working on getting the conference room back in order. They still had a business to run.

"I know it's Will's baby."

"He told you?"

Alicia gave Diane a strange look. "You seem surprised."

"I am surprised. I wasn't sure he wanted anyone to know."

"Well, he told me, so I guess he wanted me to know."

Diane nodded at her, biting her tongue. She wasn't sure what Alicia's intentions were regarding their conversation, but she knew that she had to remain calm, for her sake, and for the baby's. "I'm glad he told you, Alicia. I hope that you aren't planning on exploiting our secret to anyone else without Will's permission, because it's up to him completely."

"So, that's why you didn't want me to say anything to Will a few months back. Why didn't you just tell him, Diane?"

Diane turned to head to her office, and Alicia followed behind. She closed the door quietly, and looked at the other woman.

"I don't know why you think this is any of your business, Alicia, but it's not. I had my reasons for waiting to tell him, just like I'm sure you have yours for having an affair while you're still married. I don't judge you, and I certainly don't expect you to judge me."

Almost taken aback, it was like Alicia temporarily forgot just who she was talking to. "I'm not judging you, Diane," she said softer, "but I am going to make one thing clear. I do not want to see Will hurt, especially over a child. I know what that's like because I have been there. Do not use your baby to hurt him."

"I have no reason to hurt him, Alicia," Diane nearly seethed. "We're done here. I need to collect my things and get home. I suggest you do the same."

"I'm serious, Diane. You might be my boss, but if you try to keep Will's child from him, or do anything that would hurt their relationship, I promise you that it will be the worst mistake of your life."

"Get. Out."

Alicia did just that, and Diane sat on the edge of her desk for a moment while she took a deep breath. How dare Alicia speak to her like that? How dare she assume that she knows anything about her life or her relationship with Will? Diane shook her head, deciding that she had to get out of there, and grabbed her bag.

She walked back into the conference room, where Kalinda met her with the gifts she had gotten, and began to walk with her to the elevator.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah... it's just been a strange last day. Do me a favor, Kalinda, make sure that if anyone is unsure of what to do regarding a client, they call me. Please. I cannot have a bunch of men running my firm with my clients without me."

Nodding, Kalinda pushed the button, and Will ran up behind them.

"Hey, why don't I take these for you," he offered Kalinda, as Diane nodded.

"Thank you for everything, Kalinda. I'll be in touch with you next week," she smiled, before the two women embraced. It was strange how fast the time had passed from when Diane told Kalinda about the baby until now. The next time she was in the firm, she would be a mother.

All of a sudden, the thought of her becoming a mother really began to seem real to her, too.


	11. Chapter 11

Will and Diane stepped into the elevator together, and Diane leaned against the wall as she tried to take in what she had just realized. Her whole life outside of the firm was changing, and now, the one consistant piece of her life that she had was being temporarily taken away from her.

"What's wrong?" Will asked, looking over at the woman who seemed like she was about to cry.

"I'm having a baby..." Diane whispered, rubbing her stomach gently, as she took in what was happening around her. All of a sudden, everything felt different, and she hated it. She hated change.

Will almost had to laugh, in spite of her. "Yes, I... I feel like this isn't new, though."

"But I'm going to be a mother."The dark haired lawyer nodded. "You are going to be a mother. You're going to be a great mother. You know that, don't you? This baby is going to be so lucky to have you."

Nodding gently, Diane kept staring at her feet. As moments of silence passed over them, Diane turned to look at him. "Alicia told me today that you told her."

"I was waiting until after the shower to tell you."

All of a sudden, the elevator jolted, and Diane took a deep breath so she wouldn't get frustrated. Lately, the elevators had been pausing, causing clients to complain, lawyers to show up late to court, and even a little too much free time amongst stuck co-workers.

"So much for the repairman that came today."

"What do we pay these people for?" Diane almost grinned.

Will shook his head. "I guess for moments like these... where we can talk. I told her that I was the father of your baby and she seemed okay with it when I said it. She didn't speak to me afterward, but she didn't seem upset."

"Well, she was pretty upset at the shower. She thinks I'm going to keep the baby from you, Will. Or pit it against you. You know that no matter what happens between us, you're still the father of my child and I want you to be as involved as you want to be."

The younger lawyer nodded. "I do know that. I didn't tell her otherwise, either. I don't know why she got upset with you."

Diane bit her lip. "I never told you, but I ran into Alicia after my second ultra-sound, just before I broke the news to everyone, and she saw the pictures. She was the second person in the office to find out I was pregnant."

Will cocked his brows at her. "Alicia knew before I did?"

"Not that it was yours, but that I was pregnant, yes."

"I guess that's why she got upset then."

Diane looked at him sympathetically. "I never meant for her to find out first."

"Did you mean for me to find out at all?"

"Of course I did! I was scared, Will. I told you how scared I was... if I could go back and redo the last eight months, I would, but I can't. I'll never keep this baby from you, Will. I promise you that."

Will just took a breath while the elevator started up again. "Do you have someone taking care of you?"

"What do you mean?"

"While you're on bedrest."

"No...? Why would I need someone to take care of me? It's not strict bedrest. I just have to spend twenty hours in bed. That still leaves me with four."

Will rolled his eyes. That was Diane. She always had her life planned out, except for this baby. She became a lawyer, she opened a law firm, she mingled in love, but her only life partner was her dog until this baby began to grow in her womb. The pregnancy was so unplanned, and even now, she seemed so scared without a plan of action. "I'm surprised you aren't considering being in the office for three of those hours."

Diane chuckled. "I was, but I'm not supposed to drive, either."

"So, why are you driving home?"

"Because I need my car at my house in case of emergencies. It's not going to do me any good parked here for the next month or so."

"And how are you getting to your appointments?"

Diane shrugged. "I was going to ask Kalinda."

"Why don't you let me take you. I'm half the reason you're there in the first place," Will said with a gentle smirk.

He was being adorable, but Diane could not fall for him. Not again. Not tonight. She wouldn't let herself... right? But it was so hard... that smirk, his words. She was letting him under her skin again, and although her brain screamed no, her heart said yes. Her body certainly said yes. She needed him tonight, and by the way he was behaving, he needed her, too. "I guess that seems fair."

"Let me drive you home, too, please. I'll drive your car and take the EL back to my house and into work in the morning."

"Seeing Will Gardner on the EL train? Don't tempt me."

The doors opened, and Will put everything into Diane's car before driving her home. The two held hands on the way to Diane's house, and as soon as the car was in park, the two were making out like teenagers. Even with Diane's ever-growing belly in the way, leaning back in the seat in the car just enough to give Will access to her body was just as easy as Will directing his hand to her core, giving her a preview of what he wanted as soon as they got inside.

After sharing a few kisses as Diane rocked against his hand, the couple straightened themselves up and made their way to the porch. Diane fumbled with her keys, trying to unlock door, and finally did after she took a breath. Her nerves were getting the best of her. She was excited, but still nervous to be with Will again. When they got inside, though, they heard a noise that caused them to break apart, scared at the voice behind them.

"Oh, God! I'm sorry... Let me just get upstairs. Diane... it's good to see you..." the woman said, nearly spilling her glass of wine on Diane's carpet as she tried to make her way up the stairs quickly.

"Victoria? What are you doing here?" Diane asked breathlessly, looking at the woman who was already on her third step.

"Well, when you called to tell me your doctor put you on bedrest, I naturally assumed you wanted me to come and stay with you for a while... I guess I was wrong. I'll be on my way back to Cleveland first thing in the morning, I promise."

"No, no... I was just leaving," Will said, before his eyes locked with Diane's for a moment. It was a hard moment for both of them, knowing that Will wouldn't be back, knowing that Diane gave in too easily, and knowing that while Diane wanted this, Will was not sure what he wanted. "I'll call you."

Nodding, Diane watched him leave, and then turned to Victoria, and began to cry.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day, after Diane explained to her sister exactly what had gone on, Victoria took her down to the firm to grab one last folder she needed. Diane intended on showing her around, and then they were going out to lunch.

"This is my office," Diane said, opening the door for her sister to see. Victoria walked in and looked around with a smile. It was a nice, wide office, and Victoria could tell right away the kind of influence Diane had over the entire firm, and that it all stemed from her office. The design, the lighting, the decor... everything.

"This is amazing, Di. You really made it out here..."

"You made it in Hollywood."

"Yeah, that's why I'm a co-anchor on 'Oh, Hi, Ohio!'" Victoria scoffed as she spit a mouthful of bitterness out with her words.

Diane pursed her lips with a light smile, knowing that her sister always felt that she could not live up to her, but Diane strongly believed that she could. Just because they had different occupations did not mean that Victoria could not excel the same way that she had. "Hey, Honor St. Raven, I'm sure something will come along that will really surprise you. Besides, it sounds like you really like Cleveland."

Victoria shrugged, unable to stop her lips from curling upward. "I never said I didn't like it. After the baby's born, I want you to bring her to Cleveland to visit."

The pregnant woman nodded. She and Victoria had been separated when they were little after their mother died. Diane went to live with her father while Victoria went to live with hers. Diane's father, who was already married, was very loving, and so was her step-mother, but she always missed her little sister.

In college they reunited and became close, until Diane went to work in Washington D.C., and Victoria headed to California. Of course they kept in touch, but it was hard. When Victoria was pregnant, Diane went out to visit her sister and her nephews and finally, her niece. After Victoria moved to Cleveland, though, they always wanted to visit each other, but never got around to it. They were both busy with work, and now that she was pregnant, Victoria wanted to help her out.

"I will. I told you I will."

Victoria nodded. "Okay. Good... Now, where's Katrina?"

"Kalinda? She's on a case, I'm sure. Come with me... we'll find-" Diane said, as she paused. She watched as Will leaned in to kiss Alicia, before Alicia walked out, smiling to herself. Diane hadn't bothered to turn the lights in her office when she came in, so no one saw her, but it broke Diane's heart to see them together, especially after she felt so close to Will the night before.

"Diane?" Victoria asked gently, noticing that she wasn't moving or speaking anymore. "Are you alright?"

Diane gulped as Will's eyes met hers. She tore away from his gaze and began to storm out, Victoria following closely.

"Diane, it wasn't what-" Will began, practically sprinting out of his office to catch Diane.

"Stay the hell away from me," Diane seethed quietly, not wanting to make a scene. Will stopped in his tracks as Diane continued walking, and Victoria looked at him.

Victoria recognized Will from the night before, and also as the man that got Diane pregnant. She had seen the other woman leave the room he was in, and assumed that it was Alicia Florrick, the woman that Will had been fooling around with. She looked at him, shaking her head, before asking loudly, "Did you even shower before you went to your girlfriend's house?"

"Wh-what?"

"I'll be taking Diane to her appointments, so you just worry about keeping it in your pants, if you can do that," she said, following Diane to the elevator as Will stood in the middle of the firm, dumbfounded. He had no idea what had just gone on, or who the woman that was at Diane's last night was.

When Diane and Victoria got to her car, Victoria offered to take her to lunch, but Diane just wanted to go home. She sat in the car, staring out her window, as it began to rain, and she thought about Will. What had happened? Just because she didn't give him what he wanted, he went to get it from Alicia? It just didn't seem like the Will she knew. It was so hard for her to figure him out sometimes.

Then again, she never imagined she'd be carrying his child, either. Maybe this was partially her fault. Maybe that was why he was being so dishonest with her. She wasn't sure... she wanted to erase the whole morning from her mind... she wanted Will.

"Are you sure you don't want to go get lunch, sweetheart?" Victoria looked over at her big sister with a sympathetic glance. The two had the same facial structure - defined chin, high cheek bones, the same shaped eyes, and they even shared the same smirk and eye roll.

Diane looked over at her, pursing her lips before she shook her head. "No... I don't think I could eat right now."

"You've got to eat for your baby... I was pregnant a few times," Victoria nodded, before she suggested, "If you don't want me to take you out, why don't I make you something to eat at home?"

The blonde just nodded, and turned her head to look out the window again. The ride seemed to go quickly, and soon, they reached Diane's driveway. It was raining a little more now, and the two women got inside as quickly as possible, although Diane was extra cautious because her belly was so big.

"Are you having any cravings?" Victoria yelled from the kitchen.

Diane was sitting on the couch, staring at the television that was off, lost in her thoughts about Will, and unfortunately, about Will kissing Alicia. Hearing her sister call to her snapped her out of her thoughts, though, and she turned around. "You know damn well you're not going to be able to make me anything to eat. You can't cook to save your life."

"Hey! I can make toast! And I make an amazing margarita," Victoria teased, walking into the open room where her sister was. "I was going to call something in, okay? Would I have offered if I didn't have a plan?"

Diane shrugged. "I guess not. I suppose I could go for pizza. That is all this baby likes, I swear."

Victoria smiled. "Remember when I was pregnant?"

"Yes! And I have the same cravings; green peppers and mushrooms!"

"It must have been something mom liked."

Diane nodded, as her smile faded. She looked back at the television as her sister moved to sit next to her on the couch.

"Can we talk?"

"Can you call the pizza in first?"

With a dramatic sigh, Victoria smiled, shaking her head. She whipped out her cell phone, and Diane gave her the number that she had long ago memorized. Victoria placed the order and put her phone away before looking at her sister gently.

"Are you scared?"

Diane shook her head, looking down at her belly, rubbing it protectively. She felt her baby move and smiled to herself, before grabbing her sister's hand. "Feel this," she said, pressing Victoria's hand into her hard shell before the baby moved again.

Victoria smiled at Diane for a moment and then said, "I know you're scared... But you're not going to be like Mom, and you're not going to be like me. I promise, Diane. You've always been tough on the outside, but you're going to love this baby. You're not going to mess it up."

"I just don't want to end up like Mom," Diane said, beginning to tear up, looking at Victoria, who moved to hold her.

"You won't sweetheart, you won't," she told her sister gently, kissing her hair. "Just don't make work your priority like I did, and if you need help, you know you can call me and I'll be here in a heartbeat. There's nothing more important to me, Diane. Maybe a few years ago, but not anymore. And I can bring Joy along... she's wonderful with children," Victoria tried to make her sister smile.

Victoria, although married a few times, recently came out as a lesbian, and her girlfriend, Joy, was back in Cleveland while Victoria visited. They had discussed it over the phone, but Diane looked at Victoria, now remembering that Victoria's lifestyle had changed. She always thought she could sense something between the women, but she never brought it up to her sister.

"I'm sure she is... I just don't know if I'll know when to ask for help."

"You will... I know you will. Diane, you are an intelligent woman, and I know that it might not be easy, but you'd never leave your baby. He or she is going to love you unconditionally. I guess I didn't realize that for a while with my kids, but you're older, you're smarter, and you're nothing like she was before she..." Victoria gulped, looking away from her sister.

Diane held her hand. "I just don't want to ever get to that point. Ever."

"Well, you don't have Alex Chase in your life trying to screw you out of child support, two girls you already couldn't afford to feed, and then have your job taken away. She was in a tight spot, but I still... I still can't forgive her," Victoria said, standing up, getting upset talking about the subject.

"Victoria, she didn't think she had a way out. That's why she did it."

"Yeah? Well, maybe she should've thought about her little girls coming home from school that afternoon to find her," she said bitterly.

Diane had been the one to find her mother in the bathtub of blood at nine years old, but Victoria saw what happened. She remembered the overwhelming scent of copper pennies, the dark red blood all over the white tiled floor, and her mother's blue eyes wide open, her head draped back over the side of the tub. All seven year old Victoria wanted was for her mom to wake up, but Diane was old enough to realize she wasn't even asleep.

Diane reached up and grabbed a hold of her sister's hand. "C'mere..." she said firmly, not letting Victoria go as she tried to walk away. Seconds later, Victoria returned to the spot next to Diane on the couch, and began to weep. Neither sister was usually emotional, but it felt like whenever past scars were reopened, they were always together, and they always shared tears.

Diane held her baby sister tightly in her arms, as best she could with her belly in the way, and said, "I love you, honey. I wish I could have been there for you when you were growing up. I know it would've been different."

Victoria nodded, before she whispered to her sister, "You're going to be a great mother."


	13. Chapter 13

Diane had been hanging out with her sister for about a week and a half before she heard from Will again. He called and left her a message, asking her to return his phone call, but she was not giving in again. She hated herself for letting him in before, and if she did it again, she would never be able to forgive herself. She was a strong, smart woman, and she was tired of his nonsense.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Victoria asked, knocking on her bedroom door loudly. Diane got ready, but she was tired and in a little pain, so she found her way back to bed and lost herself in her own thoughts.

"Yeah, come in for a moment," Diane called to her sister, as she watched the woman open the door with a smile. She was standing in a lovely red dress and Diane sighed, missing the days where she could pull off a little ensemble like that. Soon enough, though, she knew, the baby would be here, and she would have to work to get back into shape. Then, perhaps, she'd visit her sister and they could shop together.

"Are you okay?"

Diane nodded, getting up from her position on the bed. She was leaned back against her pillows because her back hurt so badly. She woke up with a terrible ache in her back, but she was almost due and she was not used to all of the weight. "Fine. I was just thinking... about Will."

Victoria sighed. "I really wish you wouldn't. He's a bastard, Diane! C'mon. We have an appointment to get to," the woman said, not wanting to talk about the father of Diane's child again. She was sick of talking about him. He was clearly two timing both women, and it made her so angry that Diane couldn't see that jerk that she was dealing with. All she saw was a sweet guy, the loving father to her unborn baby, her business partner.

The pregnant woman just sighed before she got up and followed her sister to the car. They drove down to the private office where Diane met with her doctor, and her sister sat patiently in the waiting room.

"You're already beginning to dialate, but that's completely normal," the doctor told Diane with a gentle smile. "It would be wise if you had a hospital bag ready, and your car seat ready, just in case."

Diane's heart began to race. It made her so nervous that her due date was only two weeks away. She knew that it was nearing time, but the months had gone by so fast... luckily, her sister had been preparing the nursery with her while she was in town, and despite Victoria being inept to do many things, she designed it beautifully. She could not physically do everything herself, so Diane hired a professional to put it all together.

"Okay... I will do that when I get home," she said, before sitting up on the table.

Dr. Webber let her get dressed, and then they set up an appointment for the week after. Although Diane hated going to the doctor's office, she found herself there more frequently, and she also realized that she was becoming immune to it.

She had a hard time walking out after laying down because she felt so big, but she sort of found something entertaining about being that pregnant. She knew people moved out of her way and she could snap her fingers to have anything she wanted. That kind of power was delicious.

Diane saw Victoria on the phone near the corner, and smiled at her before Victoria finished her conversation and hung up. "Ready?"

Nodding, Diane smiled. "I am."

"What did the doctor say?"

"Nothing... just to make sure the car seat was in the car and that I had a hospital bag ready. Otherwise, I'm still on bedrest, and I'll be back here in a week."

Victoria shook her head briefly. She did not miss that. She hated going to appointments just as Diane did, and although she empathized, she was glad it was not her having to be examined so frequently.

"I'll put the car seat in the car as soon as we get home, and I'll help you pack your bag afterward," Victoria said, before looking at her sister. "Actually, I want you to see how the car seat is put into the car. I know you did it for all of my kids, but I just want to make sure you remember how."

"Oh, because you're an expert?"

Victoria gave her an as-a-matter-of-fact look before replying, "Actually, yes. Joy was thinking about having another baby not too long ago, and I went to a parenting class with her. I want to make sure I'm prepared in case Emmy gets knocked up. We both know she's not going to be able to raise my grandchild."

Diane's eyes widened, almost sick over the thought of her niece ever getting pregnant, as she shook her head. "No... I'm surprised she lives alone."

"Well, with the maid, the butler, the cook, the driver..."

"Exactly."

Victoria smiled as they pulled into the driveway. She showed her sister how to put the car seat into the back of the vehicle, how to buckle it in correctly, how to unlatch the seat away from the base, and how to lock it back in. Diane, annoyed with the demonstration, held her aching back, and then decided to go inside. She was tired already, and she hadn't even been out for an hour.

"Do you want me to help you get a bag ready for the hospital."

"If by help you mean, you'll do all the work while I tell you what to do, I'd love that," Diane explained, before she opened the door, with Victoria following along. When they reached Diane's room, Victoria began packing a bag with comfortable clothes and pajamas, and her favorite robe. She grabbed Diane's music player and her favorite blanket, and also her two favorite outfits to take the baby home in. One was for a boy, one was for a girl, and the other clothes were gender neutral.

"Jesus, my back hurts," the pregnant woman said, shifting her weight in bed, putting a hand to her lower back. She leaned her head against the bed post behind her, and said, "Maybe I should try to get some sleep."

Victoria nodded and then went over to kiss her sister's head. "I'll go get lunch ready, alright?"

"Sure..." Diane said, before closing her eyes. She didn't fall asleep immediately, but eventually, she did. A few hours later, she awoke, hot from the temperature of her room, and soaked in sweat. She went to move to get out of bed, and immediately felt her back begin to ache again.

"Victoria? Do you think you could bring me some water?" she called to her sister.

Victoria walked into Diane's room moments later, and before she had a chance to ask her what she said, she noticed something peculuar.

"Oh, my God! The baby's coming!"

"What?" Diane asked, looking at her sister carefully. "No, I asked you if you could bring me a glass of water."

"No, Diane, the baby's coming! Your water broke! Look at your sheets! C'mon, honey, we've gotta get to the hospital! This baby is on it's way!"


	14. Chapter 14

When the women got to the hospital, Diane was put in a room immediately, and Victoria never left her side. The fear on Diane's face was enough to make Victoria upset with the doctors for not providing the epidural yet, and she yelled at a nurse every time one walked in. But, Dr. Webber still hadn't arrived yet, and there was only one other doctor on duty, and he had an emergency.

"She's going to give birth before you get the fucking thing! Call Dr. Webber again!" Victoria yelled at the fourth nurse who came to the room. She left quickly, annoyed with the actress, and Victoria continued to hold Diane's hand.

"Did you call Will?"

"No... I've been a little busy," Victoria said gently, slightly annoyed at the situation, but not at all with her sister.

"He really needs to be here," Diane said, before scrunching her face up in pain. The contractions were not awful, yet, but they felt like enormous cramps, and her back was still killing her. She was glad that she would never have another baby after this.

Victoria let go of her sister's hand for the first time in nearly an hour and took out her cell phone to send Will a text message. She refused to talk to him on the phone, but she let him know that Victoria was in the hospital, gave him the room number, and sent it. She tossed her phone over on the chair, and went back to Diane, stroking her hair sweetly.

"You doing okay?" she asked softly.

Diane nodded, biting her lip. She looked so scared. "My back hurts."

"They're going to fix it, honey. I promise," Victoria told her big sister, kissing her head sweetly. She hated seeing Diane like this, it made her extremely anxious because there was nothing she could do. It reminded her of her childhood, and she despised the feeling.

Diane smiled at her sister before saying, "Don't worry... I'm just nervous. But I'm glad you're here for me." The lawyer could always read her sister so well, and she could tell that Victoria was freaked out. Victoria almost never displayed her vulnerability, unless she was acting, but Diane thought she wore it like a new dress.

Before Victoria could reply, Dr. Webber walked in with another nurse, and smiled at Diane and Victoria. "Long time no see! What do you say we get you some drugs so you can relax?" she asked merrily.

Diane nodded, and Dr. Webber did an examination before she told the nurse to get the kit for the painkiller. She looked up at the sisters again before saying, "You're about five centimeters dialated, so you're half way there, but the epidural will most likely slow down the process. You can wait, but I'm not sure how fast it'll happen."

The pregnant woman shook her head. "I want it now."

"I thought so," the doctor said, before the nurse came back. She administered the needle, and within minutes, Diane felt numb from the waist down.

She smiled at her sister, thrilled that her back no longer hurt, and said, "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. I'll be back in about twenty minutes to see how you're doing," the doctor explained before she and the nurse walked out. The room was big, but not enormous, and Diane was happy she did not have to share the room with anyone. It would drive her crazy if anyone but Victoria was there with her.

The sisters shared a silent moment of relief, and then there came another knock at the door. Will came in without waiting to be invited, but saw Victoria and didn't come too close to Diane's hospital bed.

"Thanks for texting me," he nodded at the woman who was sitting beside her sister, holding her hand.

"Diane insisted," Victoria said coldly, still upset with what he had done to Diane. There was nothing more she hated than a man who played a woman, especially because her best friend's marriage ended that way and she saw how it nearly destroyed her.

"I'm glad," he smiled at Diane lightly.

Diane knew that for today, she had to put her anger aside because her baby was on the way. She wasn't sure if or when she would be able to forgive Will for what he did, but she was sure that he was the father, and she wanted to share the miracle with him. It was the only child she would ever have, and she did not want to mess it up from the very beginning.

"Me, too," she said, pushing a light smile toward him, before reaching out her other hand, offering a temporary truce. She knew that it was the right thing to do.

Will took her hand and rubbed it lovingly with his thumb. Even if there had been issues between them, he would never let those issues come between his love for the baby Diane was about to bring into the world.


	15. Chapter 15

Thank you so much for the reviews, I am really grateful!  
& yes, _ur superfan_, I do have an Instagram account (:

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The trio sat in the hospital room together for a few hours until it was dinner time. Will now knew the story between Diane and Victoria, and realized that they were not just friends, they were actually half sisters, which explained why the unfamiliar woman was so protective over the lawyer.

Diane had fallen asleep, thank goodness, because they all knew that if she didn't sleep now, there was no way she would be able to sleep until after the baby was born, if she could even sleep then. She needed to preserve her rest.

"Why don't you go home and grab a shower while she's sleeping?"

Will shook his head. "I don't want to miss anything."

Victoria looked at him softly. "I promise to text you if she makes any progress."

"That's sweet, but I really don't think I should go."

"If you don't go now, you won't have a chance to again until your child is born. Diane said you don't live too far from the hospital. Maybe you can grab some dinner for us," the actress nodded, she hadn't eaten since lunch, and she was starving. She refused to leave her sister's side, but she also refused to eat hospital food.

Will shrugged. "I'll see what I can do. Call me if anything changes."

"I will."

"I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"I know."

Victoria waited for Will to leave the room before she got up out of her chair and curled up in the hospital bed next to her sister. There wasn't a lot of room, but Diane was relatively small (besides her large belly), and Victoria was just as slim. She put a hand on Diane's stomach lovingly, and ended up falling asleep next to her sister.

Diane's eyes opened, feeling something next to her, and she smiled, seeing her sister asleep beside her. It was adorable. She would never have been like that a few years ago. It seemed like Joy had really changed her.

But where was Will? He was in the room before she fell asleep. She thought, perhaps, he went to grab some food or maybe use the restroom, but about twenty minutes had passed and he still hadn't made it back.

Maybe Will was with Alicia, Diane thought to herself. She hated the thought of him being with the other woman, but she knew the possibility was all too real. Would he actually miss the birth of his baby, though, to be with Alicia?

Diane leaned her head back against the pillow behind her and let her eyes close. The drugs were making her tired, and she knew she had to sleep now or else she would be extremely tired when the baby arrived. So, she let her mind drift off to dream land, hoping that Will was not with Alicia.

What ended up being nearly an hour after that, Will made it back to the room with dinner and a bag of his own. He had already resolved that he would not leave the hospital until the baby had arrived and was ready to go home, so he had enough clothing for a few days. He also smuggled in some snacks for him and Diane, and even Victoria, who was not leaving the room either.

The man saw the sisters asleep in the hospital bed and smiled to himself. He was glad they were both asleep instead of awake, waiting for the baby to arrive, and while he waited, he figured he could at least call the firm to let them know that he would not be in for a few days. He thought he should call Alicia, too, but maybe it would be better to talk to her in person. He was also a little afraid of being caught by Victoria because he could tell she was just like her sister, although she did not seem as cencored.

When Victoria woke up, she realized that Will had made it back to the room with food, so she nudged her sister awake, and moved out of the bed to grab her some dinner.

"I thought you left," Diane remarked to Will, who was sitting in the chair next to the bed, playing on his phone. Boredom had gotten the better of him, clearly.

"I did, but only to get a some clothes and bring you some dinner," he said with a weak smile. "I would've woken you up, but I thought it would be nice to let you sleep."

Diane nodded gently. "Thank you."

Victoria handed Diane a plate with a slice of pizza that Will brought back for them, and threw a couple of garlic knots on the side, knowing that Diane wanted those, too. She kissed her sister's face, hoping to reassure her that it was going to be okay, and that she would be there for her, before grabbing some dinner for herself.

"You're too good to me," Diane commented to Victoria, who brought her plate back and sat at the end of the bed with the lawyer.

"I know, but you did the same for me... three times," she smirked, before turning to Will. "Did you eat?"

"I had a late lunch, but I knew Diane would want pizza," he said, looking up at the women with a grin. He did want to try to be a good guy to Diane because he needed to make up for what happened throughout the last eight and a half months. It was time he acted like a father to their baby, too.

"It's perfect," she nodded, before scarfing down the entire slice.

About an hour passed before the nurse came in to check on Diane, and by then, she was still only seven centimeters dialated. It was nearly ten o'clock that night, and the adults knew that it was going to be a long night.


	16. Chapter 16

I'm so sorry, I uploaded a duplicate chapter!  
Anyway, I hope this will make up for it! xo

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At 7:23 the next morning, the cry of an infant broke out at the same time the mother breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She'd spent four hours using all of her energy to push the tiny human out into the world, and she was tired.

She'd held her sister's hand on one side, and Will's with the other. Still, though, not much comfort was brought to her, as she had to do all of the work. She didn't have a choice. She remembered when Victoria went through labor, but she never imagined it would be so draining. She knew it would hurt, but ever since the epidural, she felt no pain, she simply felt exhausted, like she had been working out for days on end after she got hit by a vehicle. It was horrible.

She remembered one other time feeling half as tired as she did while giving birth. It was in her fifth year of law school. She had five mid-terms the next day, all on similar topics, yet all were slightly different. She stayed up the entire weekend before the test, and then remained awake for the following Monday, cramming for the long tests she would take on Tuesday.

Diane couldn't say now what the tests were even on, because she didn't remember, but she did remember crawling into her bed after the final test and missing her flight the next day because she slept through her alarm. She had been so tired.

But never in her life did Diane ever feel as tired as she did while using her muscles to bring life to the baby that had been growing her her womb for most of the past year. She cried, she threatened her sister and her former lover, and if she could have gotten up and ran out of the hospital room, she would have. At one point, she even fantasized about jumping out of the window.

"I can't do this," she cried out, about an hour before she could officially say she was no longer pregnant.

"Yes you can," Will nodded at her, squeezing her hand just a little bit tighter. He thought that his hand was going to be crushed in Diane's grasp, but so far, his bones had sustained her abuse quite nicely.

"You can do this, sweetheart," Victoria reiterated, leaning in to stroke her sister's glistening forehead. She combed Diane's blonde hair back with her long fingers, and it stuck simply because of the sweat that had been reforming on her hairline. Victoria had been continuously dabbing at her sister with a cold cloth, but it didn't seem to matter after a while.

"No, I can't," Diane shook her head as tears washed down her cheeks, feeling as though she was at the weakest moment of her life.

The lawyer persevered, though. She looked into Will's eyes as he told her she could do it, and then into Victoria's as she encouraged her with the same words. Diane knew, rationally, that she had no option, but while she was in those few moments of pure desperation, she wanted someone else to do it for her. She wanted to hand off the work she didn't want, much like she could do at the firm.

Diane gave one last push with all of her might, and as she finished crying with a sigh of relief, she heard her child begin to cry. Suddenly, the world was different. Everything felt a little lighter. It could have been the sun rising, or the delusion she was feeling from being awake all night, but it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was because she brought a child into the world. She was a mother. She created life.

"Congratulations Mommy and Daddy, you have a little girl!"

Diane heard the doctor say those words as another flood of tears formed and swam down her face. She had a daughter, a little girl. She was the mother to a baby girl! Nothing else matter to her, not even her exhaustion. It was completely forgotten.

"Will, would you like to cut the umbilical cord?" Dr. Webber asked, before Will went to do what he needed to do, and Diane waited impatiently to see her daughter. She felt Victoria kiss her head, and after what seemed like an eternity, the doctor placed the baby in her arms.

Diane studied her features, as did Victoria and Will from behind. She was sure they were talking about her, but she couldn't focus long enough to hear what they were saying. All she could do was look at the infant in front of her that had just come into the world from inside of her. It was a miracle.

The woman studied her daughter's features, Will's sharp eyes, the cute button nose that she was confused about, since neither of them had a petite nasal passage, and her lips. The moment that her eyes met her daughter's though, she knew that everything, if not changed before, was officially different. She was a different woman. She was a mother, and her sole purpose in life was to take care of this little girl.

Diane took in the fingers and toes that the baby had, counting them an endless number of times, until the nurse came to take the little girl to measure her and get her cleaned up.

She looked up at her sister, as Will went to make sure the little girl was okay, and said, "She's perfect."

Victoria nodded with a smile. "She is perfect. You did an amazing job, Mommy. What are you going to name her?"

The question struck Diane like an oncoming car. She had been in her own world ever since she met her daughter, and now she had to go back to reality. What the hell was she going to name that perfect being? Was any name even good enough for her? Diane shook her head, looking up at Victoria, still in shock over the question, "I don't know."


	17. Chapter 17

I had surgery on my hand two weeks ago, so I'm sorry for the delay! This is for my lovely friend who sends me the sweetest comments on anonymous. Check out the review from "yo its yo bitch" haha! Anyway, enjoy!

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Abigail Elise Lockhart Gardner.

Diane liked the name Abigail for multiple reasons. For one, Abigail Adams had always been an inspiration to her. Diane learned about her when she was young and liked her so much that she named her first gerbil after her. Diane would find out down the line that she probably should have named the little hamster "John Adams" instead of Abigail. She brought a female hamster home and it ended up pregnant a few weeks later.

The first client Diane ever signed was named Abby Roberts, and she would never forget how hard she worked on that case. She ended up settling in the end, but that was when she knew she made the right decision to become a lawyer.

Elise, for a different reason. It was Victoria's middle name, and Victoria had been there for her during the most difficult parts of her pregnancy. Victoria had used Diane's middle name, Ariella, for her daughter's middle name, as well.

For some reason, Diane felt absolutely no obligation to include Will's family or opinions when filling out the birth certificate. In her eyes, he had not done very much over the past few weeks to help her out, and therefore, she should get to choose her daughter's name. She, of course, used his last name, but she also wanted her name to be on the certificate. She wanted her daughter to know that they were separate entities, but together, they created a beautiful life.

Victoria rocked Abigail as Diane slept into the evening, and once the infant was asleep, Victoria put her into the plastic bassinet. She let out a yawn, because it had been a long day, and went to sit down in the less-than-comfortable chair next to Diane's hospital guerney.

Just as she closed her eyes, Diane's phone began to vibrate, and she quickly got up to get it before it woke the new mother or baby up.

"Hello?" she asked, noticing Will's name on the caller id.

"Hey... is Diane sleeping?"

"Yeah... why?"

"I was just wondering. Where's Abigail?"

Victoria narrowed her eyes, wondering why Will had so many questions. She also wondered why he wasn't back. He said that he was going to pick up food, but he had left over two hours ago. Victoria knew that he probably wanted to go home and shower or sleep, but he should have told Diane if he was not planning on returning right away. "She's sleeping next to her mother. Where are you?"

"I'm on my way back to the hospital. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Victoria said, ending the call. She wasn't sure why she felt such an uncomfortable feeling come over her, but she shrugged it off, setting Diane's phone down, before laying down in the chair again. She had to get some sort of shut eye, even if it was only for an hour. She was completely exhausted.

What felt like seconds later, although three hours had actually passed, Will came into the room and went over to see that his daughter was no longer in the room. Victoria looked up at him and said, "The nurse came in to take her to the nursery." She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she did.

"Okay, I'm just going to show her to someone," he said, before the door opened and Victoria heard the cart being rolled into the room. She knew little Abby was back, and she closed her eyes.

She heard a woman cooing at the little girl, followed by another woman's voice. For a moment, she truly believed she was so tired that she was hearing things, because Will would not dare bring another woman to the hospital to see Abigail, but when Diane began to stir because of the noise, she knew that Will had brought someone to the room.

"Where's the baby?" the lawyer asked immediately, looking to her sister with wide eyes. She remembered the nurse taking her out, not too long ago, but she wasn't sure if maybe she was back now.

"Will has her..." Victoria said, before they heard giggling.

"Will? Is Alicia here?" she called out, before Will opened the curtain, looking at her with apparent guilt in his eyes. He gave her a strong glance, though.

"She just wanted to meet her, Diane."

Diane looked at him, incredulously. "Really? She needed to meet my daughter on the day that she was born? Get out of my hospital room, Will! Take Alicia and get out now!" she began to get angry, as her voice rose. She felt her blood pressure rise as her face got hot.

The last thing she remembered was yelling at them to leave her room, and then everything went blank.

"Diane? Diane?" Victoria cried as she watched her sister pass out. By the time she had taken in what was going on, the nurse was already over by her side, calling for help. Will and Alicia came over, too, and soon, the room was filled with people.


	18. Chapter 18

About a month had passed since Abigail's birth. Diane was kept in the hospital for a few extra days, and Will was warned not to come around her hospital room because of Diane's health. When she could finally go home, she drew up papers for full custody of her daughter. She knew that if she could get the right judge, she could win, but the problem was that she would need another lawyer. She knew she could get David Lee to help her, but she was worried about the firm. Surely, she could merge with someone else, but it was going to be hard starting a new firm.

Victoria offered to stay a little bit longer, until the court proceedings were over, and finally the day of the hearing came. David represented Diane and surprise, surprise, Alicia was representing Will.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Abarnathy," the balif said, as soon as the clock struck nine o'clock on a cold September morning. Victoria had Abigail asleep behind Diane, and the lawyer sat with David on the right side, while Will and Alicia sat on the left side of the courtoom.

"Abernathy? I thought we got Cuesta," Diane panicked, looking at David carefully.

"We did..." he said strangely, before the judge walked up, asking everyone to sit down.

"Before we start this morning, I just want to express my sympathies for Judge Cuesta who had a family emergency this morning. I hope his mother-in-law will make it through surgery for her hip so that he can return to his place on the bench," Judge Charles Abernathy nodded, before looking at his contenders. "Uh... Will Gardner and Diane Lockhart? I'm surprised to see you on opposite sides of the room."

"We were surprised, too, your honor, but Mr. Gardner clearly doesn't see what's best for his child, so we were forced to bring the issue in front of you," David stood up, addressing the judge who looked back at him, unsure of how to respond.

"I'd have to disagree, your honor. If Mr. Lee's client would be open to a shared agreement, we could have saved plenty of tax dollars and the entire Lockhart Gardner staff could return to their normal routines at work, rather than being pinned against each other," Alicia said, shooting her opposition a glare.

The judge reviewed the notes in front of him and them looked up at the lawyers. "You two concieved a child together?"

"Yes, she's right here, your honor," David said, gesturing to the infant that Victoria was holding.

Charles stood up and moved from his throne, walking down to the floor.

"Your honor?" Alicia remarked, confused about his behavior.

The judge stood over the little girl, admiring her for a few moments. "Are you Diane's friend?" he asked Victoria kindly, giving her a smile.  
"Her sister, Victoria Chase."

The judge nodded. "You were on the Edge of Tomorrow! I thought you looked familiar! Oh, how wonderful! It's nice to meet you... my wife is going to get a real kick outta this!" he grinned, before walking back up to his podium and taking a seat. "Diane, Will, that is one beautiful little girl you have. And I don't think I need to hear arguements. I know what the best solution is for your daughter, and for your firm."

"Oh, for the love of God," David said, annoyed that they were going to get some ridiculous ruling. Judge Abernathy had handed out some absurd decisions before, and plenty of them were in the presence of David Lee. He always knew when something ridiculous was about to happen.

"Will, we're screwed," Alicia simultaneously whispered to her client and lover, giving him an apologetic look.

"I think it would be for the best if you two could, for the next four weeks, put your differences aside and live together. You can consult about the firm, about cases, and about your daughter. It's clear to me that there is some bad blood between the two of you, but there is also flesh and blood that will bond you together forever."

"But your honor-" Alicia cried, before the judge banged his gavel on the soundblock two times, interrupting her.

"I will see you back here in four weeks... good luck," he nodded, banging the gavel again.

"Is this guy for real?" Victoria asked, looking at her sister curiously. Clearly, she was not used to the law, or this judge for that matter, and she was confused as to whether or not Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out and tell them that it was all a joke.

"Unfortunately," David confirmed, as Diane sat down in her chair. Her life was about to become a nightmare.


	19. Chapter 19

Victoria left that afternoon at Diane's urging, and Will came by that evening. Diane let him in with a scowl, always a servant to the law, and went back to the kitchen with Abby where she was reading through a parenting book as the little girl slept on her shoulder.

"You know, I don't want to do this either, Diane, but I think it was pretty clear that if we can just get through this, we can have a fair trial," Will told her, following her like a lost child.

With a sigh, Diane nodded. "Fine. You can stay in the guest bedroom, but don't you dare think that you're going to be leaving the house with my daughter without my permission. You'll have to give me a list for groceries you want or you can pick them up yourself."

"I wouldn't leave with her, Diane. Jesus." Will shook his head, clearly annoyed.

"And don't you dare even think about inviting Alicia into my home. She is not welcome here."

Nodding, ashamed, Will said, "I know."

"Good. I'll continuously remind you so that you don't forget, though."

Taking a breath, the man showed himself through Diane's luxurious house and left his belongings in the guest room. He went back downstairs and looked at his former lover. "Can I at least hold her? I haven't seen her in a while," the lawyer asked, as they made eye contact.

Nodding, Diane passed off the sleeping infant and moved back to continue her book. She watched out Will and Abigail of the corner of her eye, and she smiled to herself, glad that her little girl got to be with her father again.

"Why don't you stay with her until I have to feed her," Diane offered, before adding, "I could really use a shower, and it'll be good for you two to spend some time together."

Will nodded, "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Her diapers are upstairs in her nursery... I'll show you now," the woman offered, before the man followed her upstairs and to his daughter's nursery. It was a light pink colored room with white furniture. She had a lovely crib, a changing table, a dresser, a rocking chair, and a tall book shelf already filled with a scrap book and two shelves worth of pictures. One, with Will, was on the top, next to one with Diane right after Abby was born. Then there were two of the infant by herself and one with her aunt Victoria on the shelf below.

Her name, Abigail Elise, was painted in white cursive calligraphy above her dresser, and the room was completed by a little butterfly mobile that could be adjusted to sit over her crib, or could be folded down adjacent to the crib bars for convienience.

"This is really gorgeous, Diane."

"Thank you... Victoria did it. Well, she designed it. She didn't know what I was having or what I would end up naming her, but she had this color and font picked out if it was a girl, and a beautiful blue color picked out for a little boy. She sleeps in my room, and Victoria had it painted while we were still in the hospital, but I want to get her moved into the nursery in the next couple of weeks," Diane explained, looking around at the finished room. The paint had long dried, but she felt safer with her baby sleeping in her room. Abby had a bassinet in there, and it was nice to have her close, especially for the nighttime feedings.

"It's great. She's lucky to have such a good mother."

Diane nodded. "I'm going to go shower. If you can still smell paint, let me know... I don't want either of you getting high off of the fumes," she warned, half kidding.

"I think we'll be okay," Will said lightly, before Diane walked away.

Will went to sit down in the rocking chair with his daughter who awoke as Will got settled into the moving chair. "Hey beautiful," he whispered to the infant as soon as he saw her blue eyes. They were the same color as Diane's, and they were hypnotizing. She was the most beautiful little girl.

The infant looked up at her father and stiffled a yawn, as Will watched with wonder. It was amazing to him that he helped create this life. Everything about it was still so miraculous to him. He loved his daughter so much, and he hated himself for being away from her for days on end.

He traced her nose and mouth with his gaze, and soon, she was back asleep in his arms. He sat there, though, in silence as he held her, for a while. He found Diane coming back into the room much too soon, although, he was unaware that she had been watching them silently for about ten minutes prior to when she walked into the nursery.

"I'm glad she went to sleep for you."

"She looks so peaceful when she sleeps."

Diane nodded with a soft smile. She then said, "You can put her in the bassinet in my room whenever you're ready. I'm going to make dinner. If you'd like some, I'm having rotini."

Will looked up at the mother of his child. "Sure, that sounds good. I'll put her in your room in a minute... I just want to hold her. I've missed her a lot."

"I'm sure she's missed you, too," Diane tried to make him feel better. She knew she could be cold and make the whole situation an angry mess, but she had a daughter that she wanted to protect, and she wanted to make the best of Judge Abarnathy's orders. Maybe this would all work out in her favor in the end if she not only played by the rules, but also put a little effort into the judge's decision.


	20. Chapter 20

The next few weeks passed by at a reasonable pace. Unfortunately, though, Diane was trying to adjust to putting Abigail in her nursery, and she was having a very tough time doing so. She would rock in the chair with her daughter, but the minute that the infant woke up, Diane found herself over the crib, soothing Abby's cries. Diane reall had tried her best not to, but she ended up making herself cry, so she just went to get her daughter.

One morning in particular, Diane was downstairs getting a cup of coffee before Will went out the door, and Will was inquiring how the night before went. He could hear some of what had been going on because his room wasn't too far from the nursery or Diane's room, and he knew that she was having a hard time putting the baby to bed and leaving her there.

She shook her head at the inquisition. "I can't do it anymore, Will. I can't let her sleep in her own room. I want her next to me... it kills me when she cries; it's like she knows I'm not supposed to go to her," Diane said, beginning to tear up thinking about what her daughter and her hormones had done to her. She felt as though she was losing her mind.

Will looked at her carefully, aware of the vulnerable state she was in. He didn't want to say anything to make her upset, so instead he pulled her into a light hug. It was the most contact they'd had since that night in the car...

"Maybe I can help you through it tonight," he offered softly, not really knowing what he was getting himself into in terms of Diane's hormones, or his own feelings toward his daughter or Diane. He simply thought that he was helping.

Diane's eyes met Will's and she nodded. "Maybe you could... if you wanted to. I think it would be easier having someone tell me not to go to her at every sound she makes. It's just so hard to leave her there when she sound so helpless."

Will pursed his lips. "I know, but we'll get through this, okay? For Abigail?"

The woman nodded her head before repeating, "For Abigail."

That night, after Diane fed Abby, she laid her daughter down in her crib and watched as the little girl drifted off to sleep. Diane could spend days just standing over the crib, watching Abby breathe, but she knew that more than anything, she needed sleep. She planned on going back to work soon, although it wasn't set in stone, and she really needed her rest so she could get back on schedule, even if she didn't go back to work.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Will suggested as soon as Diane walked out of the nursery. He had been patiently waiting for Abby to go down, but he knew that sometimes it took a little bit longer than twenty minutes, especially if the infant was cranky.

"Okay," Diane said, fighting a yawn as she led Will to her room.

The parents set up camp for Will on the floor beside Diane's bed, and soon they were both asleep. Not long after, though, a noise came through the monitor that was on Diane's end table, and woke the woman up immediately. Abigail was only whimpering, but she got up anyway.

"Don't go in there," she heard from the floor. A groggy Will had heard the sound, too, and knew Diane would want to get Abigail. "Just go back to bed, let her self-soothe."

Diane shook her head in the darkness, "I can't. I have to get her."

Will made his way to his feet with a grunt, expressing his exhaustion, and grabbed her hand before leading her back to bed. "Just let her cry for a little bit. If she doesn't calm herself down in a few minutes, then you can go get her."

Diane got back into bed and listened to Abby get louder over the baby monitor. Her heart ached for her child. She was just a tiny infant, she couldn't self-soothe! Diane went to get back up, but Will laid down with her.

"She's fine... just give it a minute," he whispered to her, rubbing her back gently.

"I can't," Diane whispered as her voice cracked as she silently began crying. "I can't leave her in there."

"Yes you can, baby... you can. She'll be fine in a minute," Will told her, stroking the hair out of her face from behind her. He cuddled up beside her and quieted her down with repeatative hushes.

Diane stayed in bed with tears rolling down her face for nearly two minutes as she began to cry, hard. She hated what motherhood had done to her strength. She felt so broken down. She almost never cried, but ever since she found out she was pregnant, she felt like a total basket case. It only got worse after she birthed her child, and even now, Abby's cries nearly killed her.

"I have to go to her."

"Just hold on," Will whispered, pointing to the monitor as the cries began to cease. Soon, they heard nothing... nothing but Abigail's breathing. It was incredible. "See?"

Diane wiped her eyes and turned over to look at Will. "How did you know she'd be okay?"

"I don't know how, I just knew. She's alright, Diane. I promise she's going to learn to do this and you'll see that she's fine," he told her rubbing her back gently, as the silence of the night passed over them.


	21. Chapter 21

Here's to hoping you like this (:

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Diane spent the next few days getting up usually once a night, one time twice, but other than that, Abigail was content in her nursery. She also spent the next few nights letting Will occupy her bed, instead of Justice. She knew that she shouldn't, that she should make him go back to his room in her house, but she couldn't say no.

"Why don't you let me get up with Abby tonight," Will offered, climbing under the covers as Diane, too, got into bed.

"I have to feed her," Diane reminded him, as she put her glasses on the nighstand beside the bed. She turned over so that she could face Will.

"I know... but you pumped, so we should be fine. I just think you should get some sleep. I'll take care of the baby."

"We have the trial tomorrow morning," she reminded him, wondering what it was that he was up to.

Will looked at her carefully, as if he were reading her mind. "You think I'm gonna use this against you?"

"No, I'm just reminding you because I'm sure you'll need the sleep, too. I'm used to getting up with her."

"Fine, get up with her. I was just offering," he said rolling over, annoyed. He really was just trying to be nice, and he wished that she could realize he was trying to help.

"I'm sorry... I just... please get up with her? It would be nice to sleep."

Will turned back over, and it was as if his eyes suddenly lit up. Diane couldn't help but feel her heart beat faster, as her breath got caught in her throat for a moment. "Yeah, I'll take care of it," he told her, leaning over to kiss her head.

Diane paused for a moment. She wasn't naive. He was playing nice with her because of the trial... but could it be more than that? She looked into his bright eyes through the darkness and captured his gaze.

"What?" he asked softly, unsure of the moment they were trapped in.

"I just want to know what we're doing, Will. I want to know why we're sharing a bed, why you haven't left my house to see Alicia... why? Tell me what's happening."

"I hate what I'm doing to Alicia, but I hate what I did to you more. I loved her... I loved her so much, but I think we were drawn back together because we were both trying to avoid dealing with other feelings. Hers are for Peter, and mine are for you," he admitted quietly. His eyes stopped glowing. "I don't know if I'm in love with you, Diane, but I'm in love with that baby. I've been a complete asshole to you, though... leading you on, avoiding you, running back to another woman... But ever since I've spent time alone with you and our daughter, I've realized how important you both are to me. I don't want to fuck it up again, Diane. I want to be your support system, for Abigail, whether we're romantically involved or not. Does that make sense?"

Diane took in what he said and nodded. It was all she could do. He was finally, finally being the man that she knew he was. The man who'd been her business partner before anything else. This was the Will she knew and loved, platonically... and maybe now, more than that. Maybe she could finally say it outloud.

"I... I'm in love with you, Will," she said after a few moments passed between them. "I never realized it until we slept together, but I am. And I want you and Alicia to work through whatever it is you need to work through, because I need to know what role you're going to play in my life. I want you to be there for Abby no matter what, obviously, but I want you to be there for me, too. If that's with Alicia, I'll learn to live with that, but if it's not... I don't want to live without you laying here, next to me, every night."

Will took her hand and laced his fingers through Diane's.

"I do need to sort things out with her, but I don't love her, Diane. Not like that. Not anymore. I want you to know that."

Diane nodded, even though she wasn't sure if Will could see her move. "I believe you."

"Good, because it's true," he told her honestly. She could always tell when he was lying to her, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the sincerity as he spoke. "Let's get through tomorrow and then we'll... we'll figure this out, okay?"

"Promise me, Will. Promise that we'll work everything out, whether we're together or not. We have to work this out for Abby."

"I promise we'll work this out for Abby, and for you and me," he squeezed her hand gently, letting her know that he was being truthful with her.

Diane moved a little closer to him before she felt his warmth and comfortably fell asleep. She felt as though things were really going to be different from now on... she only hoped that she was right.


	22. Chapter 22

I hope you've all enjoyed this story (:

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The next morning was hard. Diane ended up with full physical custody of Abigail, but Will had her every other weekend, and every Wednesday. Will showed up with Diane, but when they got to court, he went over to Alicia, and Diane felt like everything had, once again, been a betrayal. He was just using her...

Once Judge Cuesta pounded his gavel, Diane grabbed the carseat and headed for the door, glancing over at Will and Alicia, who shared a hug.

She was so angry and upset, she felt the hot tears in her eyes, but refused to let either one of her co-workers see her cry. She couldn't believe that Will could have decieved her again.

When Diane got out of the courthouse, she headed home. Abigail wailed in her carseat as Diane cried silently to herself. She hated the sound of her daughter crying, but she hated herself more. She hated that she let Will in after all that he had done througout her pregnancy, and now

Abby was going to be around Alicia... Diane felt so sick that at one point, she thought she might have to pull over.

Diane finally arrived at her house, and by the time she got inside, Abigail was asleep in her carseat. She sighed to herself, leaving her daughter in the carrier, and sat down on the couch. She had a nice long cry by herself, and was grateful that Abby didn't wake up during her mini meltdown.

There was a knock on the door not too long afterward, and although she didn't think she could muster up the strength to move, she got up and answered to her guest.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, looking at the man who stood just a little taller than she did.

"I came here to see you... l wanted to make sure you were okay after court. I looked all over the courthouse, but you were already gone. Is everything alright? You look like you've been crying," he noted, budging inside without really being invited in.

Diane moved out of Will's way before shaking her head. "Why? Alicia was there... you had her."

"She's not you, Diane. She's not you"

"No... she's a younger, more beautiful, better version of me."

"No she's not. She didn't carry my child or give me the best part of my life, Diane. You did that. I... I love you. I know I said I wasn't sure, but I am. I'm in love with you."

Diane was already worked up, so her tears came quickly. "But why were you hugging Alicia?"

"She... she and I decided to be friends. Nothing else, besides boss and employee, obviously. But she's going to try to work out her problems with Peter. And I'm going to fight like hell for you, Diane. I'm going to fight like I've never fought for anything else in my life because you mean so much to me. Our daughter means so much, and I'm not going to give her mother up. That's why I'm here," he admitted sheepishly. "I came to tell you that."

The blonde's eyes widened, as tears slowly disapated from her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say. "Really?" she asked almost breathlessly.

"Really. I love you, Diane."

With that, Will kissed her deeply and waited until Diane wanted to break the kiss. It wasn't right away. She loved him with all of her heart, and even though he hadn't been the best to her, he was a great father to their daughter, and that made her love him even more. She kissed him until she needed a breath of air.

"So, can I stay a little bit longer until we figure this out?"

Diane noticed that he brought a gym bag with him, probably packed with clothing to stay over, and she smiled to herself. "Sure. We should both be around Abby right now and we'll have to talk about this situation, but right now, I just want to be with you. Abby's sleeping in her car seat... you could come sit on the couch with me and talk."

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

"Fill me in about what I've missed at work?"

"Yeah, maybe I could even tell you about the new rumors going around."

With a giggle, Diane said, "As long as they're not about me," before she closed the door behind Will, feeling closer to her happily ever after than she had in her entire life.


End file.
